GO TO SOURCE BHUBANESWAR, INDIA, December 29, 2000: Religious conversions and re-conversions have caused numerous clashes between Hindus and those converted to Christianity in this state, leading to a gruesome murder in 1999, when Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons were burned to death. According to this dated report just brought to the attention of HPI, some…
Source: Rediff on Net KERALA, INDIA, April 5, 2001: On the eve of the assembly elections in Kerala where Christians constitute nearly 21 percent of the state’s 30 million population, the first political demand from a religious community came from the Catholic church, when senior priests from the archdiocese of Thrissur met Congress leaders A K Antony and K Karunakaran…
GO TO SOURCE SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, April 3, 2001: The Ramakrishna Mission opened its only Vedanta Center in the Australasian region with a well-attended grihapravesham, or housewarming, ceremony in Sydney. About 250 were present Sunday to participate in the grihapravesham which was initiated by Ganapati Pujanam (salutations to the elephant-headed God Ganesha). A special puja for Sri Ramakrishna followed. The Mission…
GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, April 2, 2001: Claiming that the roots of Chinese Acupuncture are found in the science of Indian Ayurveda, Dr. B.K. Joshi from Haldwani is backing up the claim by research on the “Sushrut Samhita,” an ancient treatise. This research has revealed a definite correlation between the “Marmas” which are vital energy points in the…
Source: News India Times LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY, April 2, 2001: Hand-rolled cigarettes called bidis are becoming popular in mainstream America especially among teenagers and college students. Behind the strawberry, cinnamon, orange, and chocolate flavours lurks a higher nicotine and tar content. A study conducted in conjunction with the National Institute on Drug Abuse showed eleven out of twelve brands to have…
GO TO SOURCE MUMBAI, INDIA, March 6, 2001: The Chinmaya Movement is completing 50 years in 2001 and preparations are on in full swing for the Chinmaya Vishwa Sammelan to be held in Mumbai in December 2001. The Sammelan promises to be a grand Chinmaya family get-together. Over 1,000 delegates have registered from all over the world. They have launched…
GO TO SOURCE AGARTALA, INDIA, April 01, 2001: The Methodist Church-backed NLFT militants have continued interfering in the religious rites of the people, banning the use of traditional musical instruments for performing kirtans (devotional songs) by Hindu tribals. This has triggered panic among the Hindu tribals living in the interior areas of Northeast India such as Borakha, Patni, Barkathal and…
Source: The Hindu BHADRACHALAM, INDIA, April 3, 2001: Sitarama Kalyanam was performed in the temple town of Bhadrachalam with pomp and gaiety, witnessed by devotees including Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Naidu and his wife. At a press conference, the CM announced a plan formulated for the development of 20 temples with an annual income of more than US$217,391 in the…
Source: World Organisation Against Torture COIMBATORE, TAMIL NADU, April 2, 2001: Since 1986 when the Coimbatore Zoological Park was formed with the intention of establishing a conservation centre 30 kilometers from Coimbatore City, tension has existed between this group and the tribal people. The area allocated for the park, known as the Poramboke lands, is the very land that the…
GO TO SOURCE DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, April 3, 2001: United Arab Emirates (AP) — Three Americans were arrested for distributing compact discs and videotapes promoting Christianity, the Al-Khaleej newspaper reported Tuesday. The Sharjah daily quoted Dubai’s prosecutor general. Calls to the prosecutor’s office were not returned Tuesday, and the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi said it was aware of…